Whenever I start learning a new jazz standard, I try to listen to as many different versions of it as possible, including male and female vocal versions, and instrumental versions. I sing along to each version until I’ve got the melody, lyrics and structure internalized. Then I put away the recordings and start to work on the song on my own, trying out different tempos and finding the key that fits my voice. 

Born out of African-American work songs and spirituals, the blues hold a huge place in the history of music, and in the hearts of music lovers. The blues also sowed the seeds of jazz, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, and so much more. Traditionally, a typical 12-bar blues follows a “call and response” pattern where a four bar ‘statement’ is repeated a second time for a middle four bar section, and this is followed by the final four bars which are the “response”.